


Anywhere But Here

by Spunky0ne



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-24
Updated: 2013-07-23
Packaged: 2017-12-21 04:46:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/895966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spunky0ne/pseuds/Spunky0ne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reeling under the weight of his failures, Byakuya drops out of sight. Yoruichi sets out to find him and ends up training him for a one on one battle against Aizen, to restore his lost honor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pieces of a Shattered Heart

XXXXXXXXXX

_With deep reverence, my lips moved in the shape of my promises. I sought to honor my love for those fallen, to make myself a slave to their needs. I forgot my own desire and the heart that beat within my breast. And forgotten, it beat on its own, even after my promises collided and it should have been stilled._

XXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 1: Pieces of a Shattered Heart

"Kuchiki Taichou?"

He didn't want to open his eyes, didn't want to see the sweet, concerned face of Unohana Taichou leaning over him. He wasn't supposed to be here, lying in a hospital bed, bandaged from throat to waist, surrounded by agony as much in his mind as in his ravaged body. He should have gone to join his wife and parents in death. Instead he lay in the fourth division, the pain in his body secondary to that in his badly shattered heart. He didn't want to look anyone in the eyes…didn't want to have his failures thrown in his face.

But his failures were everywhere, it seemed. They were reflected in the kind eyes of the fourth division taichou and the healers who tended his wounds, in the body that had failed him and continued to do so every time he sought to move. It was in the ghostly presence of his fukutaichou who sat by the door, downcast and cutting away absently at a piece of wood…and it was in the lack of power he felt to control any aspect of his current existence.

He couldn't affect anything. He couldn't make Unohana Taichou's kind eyes go away and leave him to his misery, couldn't shut out the whispers of the other healers who leaned over him, whispering when they thought he was asleep. He couldn't make his fukutaichou abandon him to his sorry fate and couldn't climb out that damned bed and flash step away.

So he left it behind by sinking into his mind. He gave Unohana polite glances when she came, ignored the words of the other healers, even when what was said was painful, patently ignored the shadowy figure at the door and sank into blankness.

It worked for a while.

Until Rukia walked into the room.

Then all Kuchiki Byakuya wanted to do was to disappear.

He had told her everything, had given her a truth he had promised never to tell. He had broken his promise to Hisana…had proven himself as unworthy of her love as he had always felt. And he had apologized, so why did she keep coming to him? Why did she sit by him for hours as he slept? Why did she keep talking to him as if she cared anything about what happened to him now? She should hate him for everything he had done, the lies he had told himself, her, everyone…and for the broken promise to keep her safe.

Being pierced by Gin's blade wasn't nearly enough to pay for his mistakes, for his foolishness, for how badly he had let himself be deceived.

He should, he thought, flash step to Hueco Mundo and get Gin to finish the job. Not that he hadn't tried to be thorough, but his target had been Rukia, and the fact that Byakuya had been flash stepping at blinding speed was the only reason he hadn't been killed immediately. He knew it had been close. Had Aizen Sousuke been a bit more into the telling of the tale of his betrayal or had their exit been delayed for any reason, his servants would have been hollowing out the place where he would be lying in permanent repose and Rukia would, very ironically, be mourning him.

"Kuchiki Taichou, Rukia is here to see you. Shall I allow her in?" asked Unohana Taichou.

He didn't know why she even bothered asking. She was going to send the girl in no matter what he said, so he ignored the question, staring out the window and trying not to listen as her footsteps echoed in the hallway outside his door, her voice sounded as she greeted Abarai Renji, who still sat in his doorway, and as her steps carried her to his bedside. He could see her out of the corner of his eye as she sat down.

Perhaps she wouldn't try to speak to him. Perhaps his silence was getting through to her. He didn't want her here. He didn't deserve to have her sit so dutifully at his side. She should be off and residing with the friends who saved her, far from the bastard who had nearly let her be executed.

"Nii-sama…"

So she hadn't given up. He didn't know whether to be disappointed in her for her pursuit of such futility or if he should be proud of her for her resolve.

"Nii-sama, won't you please speak to me?"

_I can't._

"Nii-sama, I don't understand why you won't say anything."

_I'm far too ashamed of myself._

"If you are angry at me…I am sorry. Just tell me what I can do to make it right. I don't want there to be silence between us. The worst is over. It's time for all of us to heal. It's time for us all to make amends. So, whatever I've done, please believe me when I tell you I'm sorry!"

"Stop…"

He blinked in surprise. He hadn't meant to say anything.

"I'm not angry. But I want you to leave."

There was a long silence and he could feel her struggling with whether or not to obey him. Before, she would have been too afraid to refuse his orders…but this hadn't really been an order. It had, he realized belatedly, been phrased as a request. That left room for negotiation.

"No."

He turned and met her eyes directly.

"What did you say to me?" he asked quietly.

Her eyes filled with tears and her body trembled, but she forced her answer out with her head held high and her expression one of finality.

"I said no, Nii-sama. I'm not going to leave you."

And so he found himself with two ghosts tormenting him. And that was far too much for him to tolerate. He couldn't bear it anymore. He waited until darkness had fallen and the two ghosts had fallen still and slumped in their chairs, until there was a lull between healers coming in to examine him. Slowly, he worked his way to his knees and crawled across the bed, his head lowered against his body's complaints. He reached the window and slipped out, following the ledge to a place where he could work his way down. He knew better than to attempt to use his flash step or to just jump from the third floor. His spirit centers had shut down when he was injured. And that left him with no powers to speak of.

But he didn't need his powers to do what he was planning to do. All he needed was to stop in at the manor and to collect some more appropriate clothing. He wasn't especially happy about traipsing around in the middle of the night in the simple white yukata he wore, but there was no choice. His shihakushou had been shredded in all of the fighting and this was all he had left to him.

He dropped down to the ground and reeled for a moment as pain shot through his chest from the exertion of climbing down and dizziness swept over him. His legs shook and threatened to collapse, but he took slow, deep breaths and gradually regained his equilibrium.

He tried to walk in the shadows, although he didn't see anyone about. It was late at night, so most of the Seireitei was asleep. A few times, he thought he felt a trailing reiatsu, but with his spirit centers shut down, he couldn't be sure. He shook his head in annoyance and kept walking.

He knew the motions of the guards at Kuchiki Manor and had no trouble slipping in undetected, even without the use of his flash step. He moved down the silent hallway and into his room, then searched his closet and dresser for several changes of clothes. After gathering another few necessities, he slipped out into the gardens and waited until the guards passed by him, then he passed through the back gate and into the forested area beyond.

It was a relief not to have to mask his reiatsu as he walked the forest path. Now beyond guards and risk of discovery, Byakuya began to relax and just blend into his surroundings. The trail wound through the trees and emerged at the top of a grassy cliff covered in sakura trees. Amongst the trees was a large waterfall that spilled down into a large blue lake. He had to slow and work his way carefully down a set of switchbacks to reach the lake and the open meadow beyond.

The sun was rising by the time he reached the meadow and, anxious to avoid discovery, Byakuya worked his way to a stand of large oak trees that concealed another small trail. This one wound around and through the oaks, up and over several rises, then down into a well concealed valley. It was this valley he had sought, because of its remoteness and its beauty.

Now, this was a place that would promote healing. He found a small stream and followed it to where it entered a deep, cave-like depression in the side of a hill. He set down his provisions within it and went out to where long grasses grew in an open field. He used a field knife he had brought to cut some of the grass and carried it back to the cave. He used this to make a soft bed and then laid down to rest. The area was filled with berry bushes and the stream would provide fresh water and fish. And here, he was away from the clutter of emotions, the harsh memories and the ones who worried too much and tried to decide things for him.

He tried to sleep, but was kept awake by the throbbing in his chest. He had, he realized put too much strain on his body and now he was paying the price. But he didn't need to leave the cave any time soon. So now he could relax and focus on letting body and mind heal. There was nothing here to remind him of his failures…of his shortcomings…of his losses. His mind could go blank and unfocused here…could center itself on the beauty of the land around him by day and the moon and stars at night, and he would be able to force the unpleasantness away.

He rested there for a long time watching the clouds float by and listening to bird sounds. Gradually, the throbbing in his chest eased and he was able to drift off.

XXXXXXXXXX

Rukia shifted uncomfortably in her chair and slowly opened her eyes. She blinked several times, not wanting to believe that the bed beside her now stood empty. She looked out the window to where the new day was dawning and felt a deep sadness.

He was in pain and he was alone.

She couldn't stand to think of him being alone like that. Whatever he had or hadn't done, however he might have failed in his own eyes, Kuchiki Byakuya was still her brother and Kuchiki Rukia was not going to abandon him…not even with him being so convinced that he wanted and deserved to be abandoned.

She came to her feet and crossed the room to where Renji slept in his chair by the door.

"Renji?" she called softly.

The redhead let out a snore and didn't answer.

"Renji," she said again, prodding him.

There was still no response.

"Renji!" she said loudly, shoving him and sending him crashing to the floor.

"What the hell was that for?" he yelled, "Rukia!"

He stopped as he realized why she was waking him. He stared at the empty bed and then at Rukia, his face becoming solemn.

"Do you have any ideas where you think he might go?" he asked quietly, "You don't think he just went home, right?"

Rukia shook her head.

"And it will be nearly impossible to track him with his spirit centers shut down and not being able to use his powers. Renji…it's going to be really hard to find him."

"Yeah," Renji agreed, scratching his head and thinking, "I think we're going to have to do some searching around for clues if we're going to find him."

He looked out the window and thought for a moment.

"You don't think we should maybe just let him be?" he queried.

Rukia shook her head.

"He's alone and hurting. He's not in any condition to be wandering around on his own. We need to find him, Renji. We need to find a way to help him."

"Well, not that I think you're wrong or anything, but what if he doesn't want our help? I mean, we were here with him and he chose to leave. You don't think maybe we should take the hint and give him some space? He does have a lot to deal with."

"I know he has a lot to deal with. And while he does that, he needs to know that he has people on his side…people who care about him, Renji."

Renji thought for a moment and then nodded.

"All right, so we'll look for him. I can go by the sixth division and look for clues there and you can check out Kuchiki Manor. Even if he wanted to get away from it all, he had to have gone to one place or the other for clothing and supplies."

"Good thinking," Rukia said, starting out the door.

She reached the doorway, then paused, looking back at the redhead.

"Thank you, Renji," she said softly, "I know you and my brother had a terrible battle, but I also know that since Aizen Sousuke revealed his treachery, you have really tried to mend fences with him. And I appreciate that."

"Well…despite everything…he is my taichou. And I really misjudged his reasons for acting as he did."

"I think we all misjudged him. We need to find him and make him understand that he can lean on us…that we are here for him, and that, despite everything, he shouldn't blame himself."

"Yeah," Renji agreed, "We all made mistakes…all of us. It wasn't just him."

Rukia nodded and turned away.

"Meet me at Kuchiki Manor when you're done searching around the sixth division headquarters."

"What are you searching for?" asked a feminine voice.

Rukia and Renji stared as Yoruichi walked into the room and stopped, gazing at the empty bed.

"Oh," she said quietly, "I see. He pulled a disappearing act, did he?"

"Yoruichi," Rukia said worriedly, "he disappeared sometime last night and we aren't sure where he's gone. What we do know is that he was wounded too badly to leave the healing center and he really shouldn't be alone right now."

She lowered her eyes.

"I know you probably don't think he deserves our help, but he is my brother and, whatever mistakes he has made, I still love him."

Yoruichi looked back at him with understanding in her eyes.

"Actually, you're wrong in thinking that," she said, still looking at the empty bed, "I've been thinking a lot about what he said to you and I think I understand why he acted as he did. I think I also understand why he left like this. He's in a lot of pain and he's decided to handle it alone, away from everyone. But I'm with you, Rukia. I think we need to find him and talk some sense into him."

Rukia looked up in surprise.

"Did you say…we?"


	2. Do Not Go Gently

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya's wound becomes infected, but someone arrives to help him.

Kill her, Gin…

"No!"

Byakuya jumped awake, a sharp pain flashing in his chest and the feel of fire on his skin. His chest heaved softly as he sat, sweating and shaking and nearly forgetting where he was. The cave seemed to sway around him and his eyes refused to clear. He moved slightly, wincing as pain shot through him. He cupped a hand and lowered it into the ice-cold water of the stream next to him, relieved he had had the presence of mind to remain within easy reach of it. The cold water eased the ache in his throat and brought his fuzzy mind awake enough to realize the trouble he was in.

It was clear enough the wound had become infected. In the sterile environs of the healing center, it might still have happened but the attentive healers would have caught it even before he sensed it in himself. It had been a reckless decision to leave the healing center, but even as he lay absorbing the facts of his situation, he couldn't be sorry. Because even dying alone in this cave in the middle of nowhere was better than having to sit and be reminded of just how far he had fallen. And it would be better, in any case, to have no one there to see his life end and to witness the soft return of his spirit particles into the ether, than to pass from life in that white-walled hell, listening to the sounds of sorrow that he didn't deserve anyway. No…this was better.

But just because he was fighting a losing battle didn't mean that he was going to yield instantly. He might not be able to heal himself, but he forced himself into a seated position and cautiously removed the bandages. With hands that shook, he carefully cleaned the wound and set fresh bandages in place. He took several more swallows of the ice-cold stream water, trying to force the heat from his flesh. Then, exhausted even from the simple act of caring for his wound, he lay back down and closed his eyes, trying to drift off again.

He did manage to fall asleep after a fashion, but he tossed and turned, the pain in his chest rising until he couldn't quite contain a pained groan. He opened his eyes and found that somehow, he had slept through the day and evening had come again. There was a coldness building deep down inside of him that warned him that he was not likely to survive another night alone.

But the mechanism for being found at this point eluded him. And he wasn't sure at all anymore how he felt about being found or just disappearing. He wavered uncertainly on that tipping point between life and death, teetering and trying to regain his balance. And he heard a voice inside (or was it?) calling his name and telling him to rest, promising to help him. He felt arms slide beneath his body and began to lift him and a cry broke loose from him. It was pain deeply sensed, but that no longer reached his core. But despite everything that was falling apart, everything he could not control, he held on to one thing. He didn't want to go back. He couldn't. He fought the hands that sought to calm him and moaned his objections.

"No…no…you…can't take me…back there. P-put me d-down…at once!"

He felt warm eyes rest on his, but he was beyond recognizing, or in truth, even seeing at all.

"You are a fool, Kuchiki Byakuya!" a woman's voice admonished him.

He knew he should remember her voice. It was so familiar, but the familiar things were slipping away, leaving him lost and shut off from everything, everyone. And finally, his pride began to give way to his stubborn heart…the one that had shattered when he knew how badly he had been used, the one that would do anything to fix the mistakes he had made, the one who longed for warmth to take away the coldness…and the one who knew to trust the hands that wrapped around his.

"Well," said the woman's voice, "If you are going to be difficult, I guess I have no choice, but to try to heal you myself. This wound is badly infected. I don't know how well it will respond to me, but I will attempt to heal it. Close your eyes."

Byakuya felt soft fingertips on his face and allowed them to brush his eyes closed.

_A soothing fogginess settled over him and the air around him seemed to suddenly be filled with the scent of wildflowers and sun-warmed grasses. He could feel soft breezes in his hair and the motion of the ground under his feet. He was trailing behind her, but he knew the way she was going, so he poured everything into keeping her within his line of sight. It would only require one small error on her part and he would catch up with her. She weaved madly in and out of the trees…appearing ahead of him and teasing him with her closeness, then disappearing and leaving him flashing forward in her wake._

_They raced up a rocky incline, flash stepping heedlessly, dangerously close to the stones that lay scattered in their path. An inch to the left or right could have meant disaster, but they were beyond fear, moving at lightning speed and leaving small whirlwinds in their wake. He sensed her pausing and had just enough time to realize her intent as she loosened a stone and kicked it into his path, laughing gaily and flash stepping forward as he turned in his path and shot forward again, only to encounter another propelled impediment._

_"Damn you, Demon Cat! You know you cannot win if we play fairly!" he growled._

_She laughed again._

_"Oh, as if the hollows will play fairly with you, Little Byakuya! Don't think so! They will do what they must to snare you!"_

_And suddenly, she wasn't ahead of him or even running anymore. Her arms were wrapped so tightly around his small frame that he couldn't move. He twisted madly in her grasp, cursing furiously._

_"Let go of me, you purple haired bitch! I'll kill you!"_

_"Oh!" she laughed "Look who's talking so tough! We'll see if you still talk so tough when the hollows catch and eat you!"_

_"I'd rather be eaten by a hollow than held by the likes of you! Let go, damn you!"_

_He was completely prepared when she released him and flash stepped away again, but his sword's slash missed by inches, slicing a few bits from the ends of her hair._

_"I'll get you for that, Little Byakuya!"_

_He wouldn't run…didn't even hesitate. Senbonzakura came up and Byakuya slid to a stop, his senses extended. The air around him had gone silent and still. He made his own breath silent, listening for the slightest sound and ready to detect the smallest change in the spiritual pressure around him. Knowing better than to trust his eyes, he closed them and waited…_

"Byakuya…"

_The voice echoed strangely in his ears, but was so close, he reacted immediately, swinging Senbonzakura and stepping back. Shock exploded through him as his foot sank into empty air._

_But he hadn't been near a cliff! He knew he hadn't!_

_Yet, wherever he had been before, he had now just stepped off the edge of a cliff and into open air. Instantly, he responded by raising his spirit energy to halt himself in the air. It took him one, long, disbelieving moment to realize that his power had inexplicably failed him. Then, he felt an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach as gravity took hold of him and he started to fall. He kept his composure, looking desperately for any handhold. A soft, but incredibly strong hand wrapped around his and was joined by another as his full weight dropped down and the other tried to stop him from falling._

_"Come on, you stubborn jackass! Don't just hang there looking bug-eyed and helpless! Move your feet…try to get a grip of some kind!"_

_And he did move. His legs swung loose in the open air, then struck the cliff wall, knocking rocks and dirt loose, sending them falling…_

_"No! Don't look d…BYAKUYA!"_

_He didn't know how, but the hand that had held his so tightly had somehow lost its grip and he was looking into her eyes and falling._

"Byakuya, help me out here!"

Senbonzakura was still in his hand.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

"What the…No, DON'T!"

Power flashed wildly around him, an explosion of light and heat and petals. Spirit energy exploded around him, bathing his pain-wracked body in white light. He wasn't falling anymore. He was lying somewhere dark and cold and quiet. Something soft and warm curled under his hand. A deeper voice, but one equally familiar, rose up out of the darkness around him.

"Sleep, now. The worst is over and you are going to be fine, now. Rest."

Although his eyes refused to open, he could hear the morning sounds of birds and could smell the dewy grass. He drifted in comfortable warmth and darkness, lulled by the touches of cool breezes, the trickling of the nearby stream, the buzzing of insects and the soft rumble of purring beneath his open palm.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya felt his upper body being lifted and the edge of a cup touching his lips. Warm tea flowed into his mouth and he swallowed reflexively, then tried to force his eyes open.

"You just don't know how to listen to anyone, do you? I told you to rest."

"S-senpai?"

"Ah, he speaks. I imagine that's an improvement over trying to attack me…"

"I…what?"

"And he…doesn't remember a thing. Ironic. It may be the closest you've come yet to killing me. But, seriously, you would have gone along for the ride. What were you thinking? Oh wait, you were delirious! That's right! That explains why you almost landed a blow. You couldn't have done that if you'd actually been trying to hit me!"

"Do you ever…shut up?"

He managed to force his eyes open, but found it a nearly useless gesture as his eyes refused to focus properly. Drawing a shaky breath, he tried to sit up, but was quickly pushed back down.

"What are you trying to do? Where do you think you would go, even if you could get up?"

"That's easy…away from you…" he muttered, trying to pull away from her.

He winced and put a hand to his chest as pain shot through the area.

"Yeah, by the way, seeing as how you were impaled through the heart, then contracted a major infection (probably because you were your usual stubborn self and refused to stay put), that is going to hurt," Yoruichi said, pushing him down again.

"I'm fine," he managed sullenly.

"Oh, yes," came the sarcasm-laced reply, "You look fine."

"I'm glad you agree…now leave."

"Hmph! Right, I'm going to leave! Did you miss the part where you nearly died last night? You're not out of the woods yet, Byakuya. Whether you know it or not, you are still very weak and feverish. What kind of a friend would I be if I abandoned you now?"

Still unable to focus properly, he simply closed his eyes.

"Actually, I'd say it was true to form, Senpai," he said quietly.

He judged by the sudden silence between them that the blow had found its mark. The cold was returning…and it felt as though his blood had begun to freeze. He said nothing, but couldn't calm the shivering, the soft tremor of his body still fighting the infection. He could feel that she hadn't left him, that she was still there next to him, that he wasn't alone. And despite the long-held disdain, his promise to himself that he would never forgive her for what she had done, a part of him couldn't help but take refuge in the warm, familiar feel of her reiatsu, in the soft touches of her hands. Because, deep down beneath the anger and the feeling of betrayal, beneath the pained half-truthful wish that she had just remained as dead as he had been told she was, Kuchiki Byakuya had to be honest with himself and admit…he had missed her.

_He knew from the look on Ginrei's face that something bad had happened. And he was immediately reminded of that day, a few years before, when word came of his father's death. He had no mother. She had died giving birth to him, so who…_

_"I have just received word from the secret mobile corps that Shihoin Yoruichi's reiatsu disappeared during a hollow attack. Signs were found that indicate she was killed."_

_He wasn't surprised at the fact death had claimed someone else near to him. What was surprising was that it could lay its hands on someone like her._

_"I know you were friends and…"_

_"What are you talking about?" he said callously, "I despised Shihoin Yoruichi. I am glad she is gone."_

_He flash stepped away, not daring to look back and allow Ginrei to see what was rising in his eyes. He kept flash stepping, moving at top speed, not stopping until he reached the sakura tree next to the waterfall. He dropped to his knees beneath it, staring out over the waterfall to the meadows and forests beyond. The wind was rising around him as his reiatsu swelled and tremored, rumbling through the trees and making the sakura blossoms dance in the air around him.,/em >_

_And strangely, his mind wouldn't let him focus on how she had teased him, called him ridiculous names, tormented him into chasing her down, bent on destroying her himself. All he could hear was the voice that used to sound in his ear when he was too tired to be angry anymore, when he had given up chasing her and had turned for home._

_"What's the matter? Are you giving up, Little Byakuya?"_

_"Hmph, you aren't worth the effort.",/em >_

_He could feel how her arms wrapped around him as they sat, resting beneath the sakura tree, how sometimes he was so exhausted, it was a relief to fall asleep there in her arms. He never once admitted it to her, of course. He had way too much pride for that. And sometimes…when it really mattered, it seemed that she respected that. It was in the way she held him while he rested after their training, in the sound of her voice echoing gently in his mind as he drifted in and out of sleep…and it was in the soft hands that waited until he was calm and senseless, then returned the stolen hair tie to his hair._

_And now she was gone._

_His tired mind could barely comprehend it. People like Shihoin Yoruichi didn't just get senselessly killed in minor scuffles. When someone like Shihoin Yoruichi died, it happened in battles of the highest sort, against a sea of enemies. And almost always, the death would occur in the way of sacrifice…a life given honorably, meaningfully. To have her disappear in a mere hollow attack was beyond unbelievable. It was a mistake. It had to be. Shihoin Yoruichi couldn't be dead. She couldn't. Because people like her didn't die that way…and if she was really dead, he would have known._

_He knew the way it felt when it was clear someone was lost. There was a disappearance of reiatsu, yes, but there was something deeper…something that felt like losing a part of one's own heart. He had felt it, often enough before. And he didn't feel that at all. He still felt her presence with him. He still felt her there in his heart. But if she wasn't dead, then why did she leave without saying anything?_

He felt as though there was no warmth left in his body. He burrowed into the blankets she had wrapped him in, but the cold still reached him. He was shivering with such cold that it made him dizzy. He felt himself being lifted again and hot liquid running down his throat, sinking into his core, fighting the ice in his veins. He was so achingly tired and wanted badly to surrender to sleep, but he couldn't sleep while feeling so awfully cold.

He heard her voice again, then felt the blankets being pulled away and a warm body settling in and wrapping itself around him. The coldness was still there, but he gave a sigh of relief as it began to recede. It was almost as though they were there again, beneath the sakura tree with petals floating down all around. He felt as though he had gone back in time, as if that moment of betrayal had never happened. And even though it had happened, he could allow himself, for just this one moment, to forget. Embracing the slowly building warmth, Byakuya surrendered to sleep wrapped warmly in those familiar arms.


	3. Reflections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya contends with his true feelings about Yoruichi.

Byakuya felt the light tickle of soft hair against the skin of his chest and opened an eye. He lay on his back with his arms wrapped around a warm, feminine body and his chin resting against the top of her head. He felt the warm, steady releases of her breath as it touched his skin. Some part of him realized all at once that he had been bared to the waist and that the woman resting so beautifully in his arms was completely naked.

His first impulse was, of course, to push her away. He almost did. But there was something about the way she looked as she lay sleeping…soft…lovely…vulnerable. Those were words he never would have applied to Shihoin Yoruichi.

So instead, he lay quietly with her sleeping in his arms, looking past her to the bright blue sky outside the cave, the lovely blends of green and brown grasses, the shadings of yellow and purple flowers that dotted the fields…and the trickling blue stream that split just before the entrance to the cave, one part flowing into the cave and disappearing within and the other meandering off into the distance. He silently wondered if the two separate branches ever met again, further down the path or if they continued to ramble on, each in its own direction, always passing close to each other, but never reaching out to close the distance. The thought made him release a soft sigh of something that felt like regret.

Yoruichi shifted in her sleep and he was inexplicably undecided in whether he wanted her to wake or to remain there entwined with him, sharing the early morning coolness and breezes. His eyes drifted closed again and his chin dropped slightly, so that nose and mouth were buried in her hair.

If he did nothing, there would be no sign of his cognizance of her being there…

It he said nothing, there would be no admission of a conscious desire for her to be there…

If he felt nothing…but it was a little too late, he realized, to try to quell his body's response to finding itself wrapped around a lovely woman (even though she might be the devil, herself). He might have mourned Hisana well beyond the usual passage of time for mourning and might still harbor unresolved feelings, but he was, after all…male, and being that he wasn't yet dead, he was going to react to being wrapped around a naked woman.

And that, he realized, was what she had intended. His eyes narrowed slightly and a slow smirk crawled onto his face. He gave himself one more long moment of breathing her scent in, of enjoying the way she looked and felt, cuddled up against him. Then, he turned, as if shifting in his sleep and calmly rolled her into the water.

And felt himself being pulled in with her…

Gray and golden eyes flared in shock at the sudden rush of icy water on their skin. Gasps of surprise and fury rose out of them and blended together. They scrambled up onto the shore again, the loveliness of the morning disappearing into angry eyes and flaring tempers.

"What in kami's name do you think you are doing?" Yoruichi hissed, shifting quickly into cat form and beginning to lick the water from her soft coat.

He had, of course, forgotten…

And he hadn't expected, even so, that she would drag him in along with her…but then, a cat falling toward water would extend its claws and try to grab onto something, even if that cat was in her shinigami form. He should have anticipated that.

"Are you just going to sit there shivering and staring at me, or are you going to dry off and change?" she asked in a furious tone.

He stared at her for a moment longer, then looked around and found a dry towel and yukata. Luckily, the towel had been sitting exposed to a shaft of sunlight and was comfortably warm. He dried the water from his bare upper body, then glared at her meaningfully and watched disapprovingly as she merely shifted so that her back was to him, and kept on licking her fur.

He wanted to grab her and throw her back in…

But he was shivering, perhaps both from the cold and from the remaining dregs of the fever that had gripped him. He wrapped the yukata around himself and pushed the hakama down before hastily tying the belt at his waist and tossing his wet clothes off into a corner. He realized rather suddenly that the effort of changing had deprived him of the minute amount of energy he actually had, and dropped forward, lowering his head and taking his weight onto his hands as his chest heaved softly and his body shook with icy coldness.

A moment later, she reappeared fully dressed and wrapped a warm blanket around him, pushing him down and adding another. She gathered some water in a cup and carefully directed a small flash of her power into it…just enough to heat the water, so that a gentle plume of steam rose off the surface. Even having seen her do it before, he couldn't help but be impressed at her precise control. She turned away for a moment, then turned back to him, holding a cup of hot green tea. He lifted himself slightly and took several swallows, shivering as the hot liquid fought the coldness that had settled inside him again. He sighed and closed his eyes, taking another swallow, then dropped back and relaxed as the warmth worked its way back into his body.

He could feel her watching as he trembled softly and closed his eyes, trying to slow his breathing, his heart, the shivering…

"So tell me," she said finally, "was it worth it?

He opened a calm gray eye and observed her for a moment.

"I don't know what you are talking about," he said calmly.

She eyed him as though she knew he was lying, but said nothing more. She watched him fight the coldness for a moment longer, then sighed and pulled the blankets away again.

"What are you doing? I'm…"

"You're freezing to death before my eyes, Kuchiki Byakuya," she said, wrapping herself around him again, "Just…hold still and try to get warm.

_Well, at least she's wearing clothes this time…_

XXXXXXXXXX

Rukia sat at the patio table in the garden and surrounded by her friends, but staring into her teacup and trying to ignore the empty seat across from her. She knew that even closing her eyes wouldn't erase the lonely feeling that was flooding her veins. There was an awful space there that he had once filled…a place where no family had been…where Renji was the only friend she had left, who still lived…and he had come and, yes, he had taken her away from Renji, but in the only way he was able at the time, Kuchiki Byakuya had given her something, too. He had given her a name…a home…a family. And even though she realized rather quickly that there were those in the family who objected to her adoption (even though they would never say so in her hearing), she was treated with respect…though not with any great amount of warmth. It had been a difficult and lonely stretch of time without Renji.

But then came her assignment in the living world, meeting Ichigo, making friends…friends so devoted that they would risk their lives to come and save her…so devoted that now, even before they were completely healed, they had come to her side to help her search for the man who had nearly killed both Renji and Ichigo, the one who had been ready to accept her execution as a necessity, the one who had been so shattered and disillusioned as Aizen Sousuke calmly explained how he, and everyone else, had been so carefully used and played against each other.

She didn't know what she had expected, but this outpouring of love and sympathy felt overwhelming, balanced against her brother's more passive displays of affection. Yes, she hadn't missed how he had looked at her when he thought she didn't notice, how he always seemed to take obstacles out of her path…and she knew that he had worked quietly in the background, keeping her safe and seeing to her general comfort…and when he was forced to support her execution, she knew that he had made himself pay for it inside…inside where no one could see. She sensed it and knew it for what it was…and therein, could not find it in herself to despise him for his mistakes.

She wasn't perfect, so she could hardly expect anyone else to be…not even him.

"Rukia," said Ichigo, gently interrupting her thoughts, "we are going to find him. We won't quit looking until we do."

"Ichigo is right," said Sado quietly, "he wasn't in any shape to have gone very far. We will keep looking."

"And we will find him," said Orihime, placing a hand on her shoulder, "We promise."

"We will," added Uryu.

"I know you all mean well," Rukia said softly, still staring into her tea, "but if my brother doesn't want to be found, then we may never find him."

"Hey…" said Renji reprovingly, leaning forward and placing a hand on her arm, "haven't you learned yet that what we say we are going to do…we do…one way or another?"

"Yeah," agreed Ichigo, "so stop with the moping and go get dressed, will you? You're wasting time, just sitting there feeling sorry for yourself!"

"Ichigo, cut her some slack," muttered Renji, "She's been through a lot. You might consider that before you go running off at the mouth next time."

"Me!" exclaimed Ichigo, his eyes widening, "I was just agreeing with you! So excuse me! I won't let that happen again!"

"I was offering her encouragement!" objected Renji, "You started pummeling her!"

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Actually," said Uryu calmly, "you were rather abrasive…"

"Shut up and stay out of this!" Renji and Ichigo said together.

Suddenly, they stopped and found themselves staring as they realized that Rukia was wearing a small smile.

"You guys," she said quietly, "Thank you…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya woke in the late afternoon and found himself alone in the cave. He looked around briefly, but except for the light scent of her that remained upon his skin, there seemed to be little sign that she had been there.

He sighed and closed his eyes.

It was just as well…

It was better, he thought, to be in this removed place alone as he slowly uncluttered his thoughts…as he moved beyond the slow healing of his body and began to address the wasteland that was left where his heart had been.

His eyes opened.

He needed to deal with everything that had happened, but his heart still ached too badly. Those wounds were still too fresh. He hadn't distanced himself enough emotionally to be able to address them in any rational way…as if such a thing as Aizen Sousuke's betrayal had anything rational to it! No…it was senseless and cold…just like the man…the stranger that Aizen had become as he revealed his treachery.

And Kuchiki Byakuya's anger over that burned more hotly than the fever that had nearly claimed his life. But this fever burned far down beneath his skin…and only bits of it bubbled to the calm surface, disturbing it from time to time. Still…that anger would demand release at some point…and coming from him, it would be released with calmness and deadly precision.

If he could get himself back under control…

Right now, he was as weak and shaky as a newborn colt. And he could feel that his spirit centers were still not healed enough to bear the channeling of his power. He knew better than to even try just yet. No…power and revenge would come in time. His current focus had to be healing. All else was secondary until he was well.

And that's when the question struck him…

_At what point did this stop being about running away from myself…and become about preparing for my next battle?_

It was a change for the better, he knew. So perhaps, he was beginning to turn a corner of sorts.

But there was still a long way for him to go. And he wasn't going to get there by sitting there thinking about it. He needed to get back on his feet…to regain his strength.

Byakuya pushed the blankets away and pushed himself to his feet. His legs shook and his heart beat too fast. His ears rang and he felt as though his feet had become lead weights. But he was up and moving…slowly along the bank of the stream. He took step after painful step, walking until he dropped in his tracks, then sitting on the bank of the stream, taking small sips of water and feeling his strength slowly return, then climbing to his feet, falling, waiting, trying again and working his way slowly back to the cave.

He realized halfway back that he had pushed himself too hard. His ears rang like firebells and his legs turned to rubber. He started to fall, but somehow missed the point when his body actually hit the ground.

A comfortable haze settled over him and stole him away.

_"Baka!" Yoruichi hissed softly, sponging his face with a cool cloth, "I told you a hundred times…as your body accepts increased power, you must adjust to it gradually. You can't simply run out and test yourself to your new, higher limits. You have to adjust gradually…"_

_"Shut up! You're making my head spin, you awful cat!" he moaned, "Get away from me!"_

_"Oh, stop making such a fuss, you big baby!" she snapped at him, "You know you should have been more careful. If you push the limits too hard in your new powers, you will be forced to endure threshold sickness. Now, lie back down and rest before you kill yourself."_

_"I said, SHUT UP!" he raged, rolling to his feet and diving towards her, "and don't you EVER call me that again, you ridiculous ball of fur!"_

_She moved as he reached her, sending him crashing to the floor, then she stood over him, shaking her head. He dragged himself to his feet and stood facing her, his eyes flaring and his hands balled into fists._

_"Will you never learn, Kuchiki Byakuya?" she asked, narrowing her eyes._

_He opened his mouth again to insult her, but found instead that his legs had given way beneath him. She was there before he hit the ground, capturing him and flash stepping to his bed. She set him down and set the covers in place, then disappeared to make tea. He was dozing more comfortably by the time she returned. She lifted him and gave him a few sips, then let him turn away and settle down again. He had almost drifted off again when he felt Ginrei's spiritual pressure._

_"How is he now?" his grandfather asked._

_"Better," Yoruichi answered, "but it was pretty darned close."_

_Ginrei sighed._

_"I imagine that if he survives his own recklessness, he could grow to be one of our more powerful clan leaders…if…"_

_Yoruichi chuckled softly._

_"I wouldn't worry so much about him, but more about the fate of the people around him!"_

_He decided then and there that he was determined to kill her…_

But as he returned to awareness and felt that he was again within the cave, wrapped in blankets and held in her arms, Kuchiki Byakuya had to admit to himself that she had been right.

He destroyed everything in his path…

He made himself a promise to put that destructiveness to good use once he was well…


	4. Tsuriai (Balance)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Byakuya begins to train again, he battles with himself over his feelings for Yoruichi.

XXXXXXXXXX

(AN**Tsuriai means balance or equilibrium…something Byakuya needs to relearn before he can face his troubles. Thanks to all who are reading! Please show your support for this story by leaving feedback. I have a lot of work in progress and I do tend to focus on pieces that capture a lot of interest. Plus, I love to chatter back and forth about Bleach! So give it a read and leave a few thoughts. Thanks! Luv, Spunky)

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya was wise enough to know upon waking alone, that Yoruichi's absence was a strategic one, meant to give him time to reflect and to test his strength. He guessed (correctly) that she had simply situated herself close enough to be there if he required assistance, but not so close as to make him feel crowded as he turned inward and began the weighty task of rebuilding himself from the inside out. It was something that would take quite a bit of time…but he had plenty of that. His injuries had required his removal from active duty in the Gotei 13 and had caused the council to relieve him of any responsibilities as clan leader. So his choices were simple…sit at home and be driven insane with boredom or remain in this quiet valley to regain his strength and to prepare for the time when he could answer the challenge laid down by Aizen Sousuke when he ordered Gin to kill Rukia.

Yes, this was a personal war…

It was something that required his response, not as the Squad Six taichou or the Kuchiki clan leader, but as Rukia's brother…and one who had sworn to protect her. Despite his miserable failure to protect her from Aizen's machinations, he was determined to redeem himself and never again to fail as her protector.

But before he could protect Rukia, he had to reopen his spirit centers…to reclaim his powers. He reached down inside himself and brushed his reiatsu against his spirit centers. They still seethed with pain and refused to open, but with focus and persistence, he could reawaken them. And while he waited for that, he planned to train physically.

But sadly, even his physical strength seemed to be returning at an appallingly slow rate of speed…

It made him glad that Yoruichi chose not to present herself, as he would probably have had to listen to her tease him about what poor condition he was in and how it would probably be weeks before he dared to tangle with even a low level hollow.

Kami, even with her not here, I know how she would torment me…and I torment myself in her likeness. Damn!

He tried to console himself with a slow walk along the riverbank…and it did help, he thought, to surround himself with the sweet, calming scent of flowers and the sound of rushing water. He breathed in deeply and exhaled, then realized that he could feel a soft flare of power beneath his skin. It wouldn't be much longer until his power returned and he could start to train in earnest.

Smiling to himself at the thought, he dropped down on the cool riverbank to rest in the shade and did not look up when Yoruichi flash stepped into view and dropped down next to him.

"So…you sensed it?" he asked, even though it was more than obvious.

"Yes," Yoruichi said, brushing the hair away from his eyes, "Your powers are returning. It is time, then, for us to talk about what happens when you have been fully restored."

She followed his gaze out over the water.

"You're going to go after him…aren't you?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

He didn't look up.

"Surely that doesn't surprise you," he said softly, "after how he used my sister…and twice tried to have her killed."

"I understand," she said, moving closer and leaning against him, "but think for a moment about what you are going to do. He isn't here anymore. He's deep in enemy territory. And even if you make it all of the way to Las Noches without being discovered by the hollows, you will still have to penetrate his fortress…find him…and brace him there. Then, if you somehow manage to win, you still have to face down the full fury of his comrades, the Espada and the thousands of hollows that will block your path home. I do hope that in your rush to plan this revenge, you have not forgotten these things, Byakuya."

"I haven't forgotten," he assured her.

He was careful not to tell her that it was unimportant to him whether or not he returned after killing Aizen Sousuke.

"Do you have a plan for getting back?" she asked, closing her eyes and breathing in the light, sweet scent of sakura that always hung in the air around him.

"I am working on it," he said in a placating voice.

"Which is your way of saying that you haven't the slightest idea how you'll get out of there and, right now, you're so angry at him the you don't care. But Byakuya, you have to really think about this. There are a lot of people who care about you…a lot of people who would be hurt if you didn't come back."

Byakuya shook his head.

"Rukia will be fine. She has plenty of friends who are closer to her than I ever was. I was never very close to her…"

"You are wrong," Yoruichi said firmly, "Byakuya, Rukia loves you."

"No…she only tries to, because she feels compelled to love her brother. I haven't done anything to earn her love."

"And yet she gives it to you unconditionally!" Yoruichi insisted, "She is grateful to you for offering her a home. She didn't have that, growing up in Inuzuri!"

"But she wasn't in Inuzuri when I found her. And I took her away from the one good friend who has always stood by her. I didn't give a moment's consideration to her needs. I thought only of my promise to Hisana."

Yoruichi sighed.

"You have to stop beating up on yourself for that, Byakuya. You were only trying to do what your heart told you was right. It was an honorable thing to follow the wishes of your wife. It wasn't as though you knowingly took an action that you knew to be wrong. And in any case, it doesn't matter. Rukia is grateful to you for adopting her and giving her a family. Even allowing for it being a difficult family, at least it gave her a feeling of belonging…and that was a comfort to her, even having lost her friend. And what's to worry about? She has Renji back in her life now. And he is not only her friend now. He wants to be closer to you."

"I know that."

"Then why don't you let him train with you? Help you prepare for this? Go with you? You know that he would."

"Yes."

"But you chose, instead, to leave them behind, despite knowing how they feel about you?"

"Senpai," Byakuya said, looking down into the water, "I cannot cross swords with Renji…not ever again…not even to train."

"Why not? He has already forgiven you for attacking him when he tried to save Rukia…and he feels that he owes you for stepping between Gin's blade and her. Why won't you let him show his appreciation by being there to help you prepare for this? Do you still look down on him so much, even after what he accomplished in preparing to defend Rukia?"

"I do not look down on him."

"But you won't depend on him."

"I can do this on my own."

"But what I'm trying to tell you is that you don't have to! Lower your stubborn pride and ask them!"

"This isn't about pride," the noble insisted, "It is about making amends and doing right by someone I have wronged."

"So you will deny her your love, yet again, out of stubbornness?"

"I am trying to earn her love…to be worthy of it!" Byakuya insisted.

"You pigheaded idiot!" Yoruichi snapped, splashing water at him, "You already have it! You don't have to earn it!"

Byakuya's eyes flared and he splashed water back in her direction, making her flash step away.

"I should have known you'd cheat!" he mused.

"It's not cheating, just because I'm faster than you!"

"Easy to say when I still can't flash step, demon cat!"

"I can't help it if you're slow," she said teasingly.

She caught her breath in surprise as he flash stepped in her direction and almost caught her before she flash stepped away.

"Stop doing that!" he snapped.

"I thought you said you couldn't use your flash step!" Yoruichi objected.

"Apparently, you made me angry enough to push myself," he countered, flash stepping and nearly taking hold of her again.

"Well as fun as this is," she said, flash stepping again, "you should stop. Your spirit centers are still healing."

Byakuya frowned at her, flash stepped again and caught hold of her arm.

"Who died and made you queen?" he said, irritably, "I don't recall being invited to your wedding to the spirit king…and that's the only thing that would give you the right to tell me what to do!"

With a twist of his body, he threw her towards the water, only to be dragged down with her. The two hit the water and sent it flying in all directions. Their hands grabbed wildly at each other and the two rolled over, each struggling to gain the upper hand. More than once, he thought he had her trapped, only to have her slip free of his grasp and throw cold water in his face. He wanted to be angry with her, but an odd feeling was overtaking his senses. It felt something like looking at the moon when it peeked through stormy clouds…or unexpectedly seeing a shooting star. He realized suddenly that he was being upended and shoved down onto his back in the water…that she was straddling his body…and that she was smiling. The smile was enchanting and it took him a moment to realize that he was seeing it from under the water, that he wasn't breathing…and that his body was less than appreciative at his lack of attention. She released him suddenly and sat back in the water, brushing her soaking hair out of her eyes.

"You are an idiot, Kuchiki Byakuya," she said, almost affectionately, "but you do have your moments…"

"Oh?" he said, shaking out his hair and sending droplets in all directions, "Do I, now?"

She laughed again and he marveled that such a lighthearted sound should come from her in the wake of all that had happened. Not, he thought, that they shouldn't learn to smile and laugh again, but Aizen's betrayal seemed to hang over everything, darkening what should have been light.

"Oh no, not again," Yoruichi said, moving closer to him.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, only half paying attention.

She took hold of his face and looked deeply into the troubled gray eyes.

"Just when I think the clouds are lifting," she said softly, "they return and spoil everything."

"What clouds?" he asked absently, "What do you mean? Everything looks perfectly clear to me."

"Does it?" she asked, her golden eyes holding him fast.

He felt a tightness in his chest and his heart raced softly beneath his skin. He suddenly realized that he had forgotten again to breathe and took a dragging breath. Yoruichi moved closer, holding his eyes with hers. She wasn't smiling, but was sinking down inside his eyes and making a reaction in his heart. He blinked as she stopped, close enough that they could feel each others' breath against their lips.

"We should go back to the cave," he said quietly, "I need to change the bandages on my chest. It feels hot beneath the ones that are there."

"Really," she said, looking down and carefully moving the bandages aside to study the wound.

She sighed softly.

"It does look a bit irritated," she commented, "but I should be able to cool it down. I think we've seen the worst of it."

"Is that so?"

Yoruichi slid off his lap and he stood and carefully made his way to the shore. They walked back to the cave slowly, enjoying the warm, lazy feel of the sun as it dried their wet skin and hair. The rushing of the water lulled Byakuya and by the time they reached the cave, he was blinking sleepily.

He sat quietly, watching her with half lidded eyes as she removed the old bandages over his chest wound, carefully cleaned and dried the area, then applied fresh bandages.

"It's healing well now," she commented, "We should be able to begin training seriously now."

"We?" he queried softly, "I don't recall asking for your help."

"Well, if you want to come back alive, then you'll accept it, Byakuya."

"And if I don't?"

She didn't pretend to misunderstand him.

"If you don't," she said, touching his face gently, "I have to make sure that, before you leave, that you do…"

"And why does that matter to you?" he asked, looking sleepily into her eyes, "Aren't you the one who abandoned me to run off with Urahara Kisuke? I would think he'd be jealous if you stayed to train with me."

Her lips tightened, but she didn't answer.

"Or is that all this is?" he queried, looking away, "Just a way to tease him? Me? What is in your head, Senpai? Your agenda changes as swiftly as your flash step. How is one to understand, let alone keep up with your ever-changing intent?"

Yoruichi's eyes grew sad.

"Byakuya," she said softly, "Are you never going to forgive me for that? Is it always going to be there…standing like a huge, brick wall between us?"

She touched his face gently and kissed his cheek.

"I am sorry for leaving…and you know that, although I did leave to protect Kisuke, it wasn't like you said. I wasn't choosing him over you. He needed me more. You had grown very strong. I knew you would be all right…and better off, even, without me."

"And do you still believe you were correct in that estimation?" he asked in reply.

She sighed, leaning up against his shoulder.

"I ask myself that all of the time. I know that you suffered horribly losing your father, and later Hisana, but I don't know that it would have made any difference, had I been here."

She watched for a moment as he began to drift off, then shifted to cat form and slipped out to catch some fish. Byakuya's eyes opened as she left the cave and his lips moved softly.

"But I do know," he whispered, "Not that I'll ever tell you."

He sighed softly and dropped down onto the cave floor, wrapping himself in the blankets and letting the soft evening sounds steal him away. When Yoruichi returned, she found him sound asleep. She placed the fish she had caught in a small, blocked off portion of the stream that ran into the cave and curled up, still in cat form, in the small of his back. When he woke, before dawn, she was still asleep in that very same place.


	5. Flare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A training session ends in an unexpectedly pleasant romp...

Aizen Sousuke sat quietly, waiting as the Espada left the room, then motioning for Gin to join him. He studied the silver-haired shinigami for a moment, then sighed.

"Have you located him yet?" he asked softly.

"Hmmm…actually, no one has…well, unless he is in the company of the 'also gone missing' Shihoin Yoruichi. It's a possibility."

"Ah…then keep the search going. I want to monitor his progress."

Gin stared at him questioningly.

"Why are you so interested in his training, Sousuke? Do you mean to say that you are not finished toying with him?"

"I am not toying with him," said the leader of the hollows calmly, "I am making sure he is properly healed and trained before he comes to face me."

"I ask again…Why? I thought you hated him. Just let him come with the hole in his heart not healed and we can kill him and have done with it."

"Come now, Gin. That would hardly be sporting. We need to be certain he is at his best, because then, when we kill him, we can feel proud of our accomplishment. Otherwise, the victory seems rather…hollow."

Gin laughed softly.

"Are you letting him wind up like this because you like him…or because you dislike him?"

"Both, I think," Aizen admitted, "Who wouldn't love someone beautiful like that. All of the Kuchiki nobles are lovely…beautiful…on the outside, but inside, they have no more heart than the denizens of Hueco Mundo. I bore all of Kuchiki Ginrei's nonsense that I could, and I hope that when we invade the spirit dimension, we see him so that I can personally wipe the smug, superior look off of his face and then drop him like a deer. And as the life seeps out of him, I'll tell him all about how I claimed the life of his precious grandson and personally cut down the entire council of their elders."

"The clan's a lot bigger than just the clan leader and elders…and they are only one of the king's noble houses. What shall we do with all of the rest?"

"Let the hollows eat them…or you and Tousen can finish them off. I won't trifle with the rest. I shall be occupied with organizing my kingdom."

"Well…you do seem to have it all worked out, don't you?" mused Gin.

"Yes, of course. Now, leave me. Come back when you have information on his whereabouts."

"Of course…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya felt the setting of the last of the power concealing markers and waited quietly in the clearing, his senses extended. As he stood with the sun warming his back, he remembered how, over a century ago, they had come to this same area to play much the same game. He had been just a boy at the time…and Yoruichi his tormentor as much as a mentor, but always after those long training sessions…

Byakuya dropped down beneath a sakura tree and looked out over the cliff, down to where the deer would soon gather in the meadow as evening cooled the environs and the light faded. He pretended to ignore the presence of the girl who dropped down beside him. Yoruichi gathered his hair and slipped it back into the hair tie she had stolen, then leaned against him and offered him a bright red apple she had found on one of the trees they passed. He accepted it without comment, secretly craving the sweet, white flesh inside it. He felt her eyes on him and as he had many times more recently, got the impression that some odd emotion was driving her behavior. It was always like that with her…but recently, the emotion was different. Before, she had been affectionate…like a sister, which he didn't mind as he had no siblings. But more recently, there was something in the way she touched him, in the way she watched him…

He closed his eyes and leaned more heavily against her, letting himself drift off, though he knew all too well what kind of tricks she might indulge in. But he was too tired from their training to worry. He promised himself that if he woke to one of her games, he would make quick work of her. The sound and feel of the breeze dulled his mind and everything seemed to fade away but the soft beat of her heart where he leaned against her.

He woke to the feel of something warm touching his lips, but kept his eyes closed and was careful not to move. Her voice sounded, but he could tell by the tone that she still thought he was asleep.

"Little Byakuya…we are heading for difficult times…and that was the reason why I was asked to train you. But they close in rapidly now…and we may have less time to play and more losses to suffer. But you have grown very strong. And your strength will always see you through. And no matter what happens, you will always have the strength to move forward…always."

He knew it was her lips that touched his, because they returned and joined with his again, and then once more. His eyes opened on the last and he let his eyes meet hers…and he didn't feel anger of mistrust or anything else heavy. His heart felt like a hell butterfly, floating on the air…and he knew he was smiling when her finger traced his lips lightly and she smiled back. He leaned forward, still looking into those golden eyes, ignoring the hair in his face, the sweat on their skin and everything else that might have been a distraction. All that was in his mind was to taste those lips and look into those golden eyes for as long as possible.

But as they kissed one last time, he felt her hand touch his face…and a light flash of kido that left him senseless. He had a vague memory of being lifted and carried…set in his bed. Then her voice…

"I am sorry. I must go where you cannot. But let this be your last memory of me…Byakuya. Remember how it felt to run alongside each other, to put all of our energy into our training…to settle down and watch the sun set over the calm meadow and to have just that one moment of being…something more…"

"But why did you only desire me for one moment?" he whispered, "Why one moment when it could have lasted a lifetime?"

He sensed Yoruichi's approach well in advance of her arrival, and disappeared into the trees, concealing himself carefully. She noted he had left the clearing and, smiling, disappeared into the trees as well, cautiously stalking him as he tried to mask his reiatsu and to move silently back in the direction of the cave. He made his breathing and everything else so silent that he could hear the beat of his own heart as he passed from tree to tree on swift, light feet. Breeze touched him and he sensed her tracking him.

She's scenting the sakura…

It wasn't as though he could make the scent leave him. It was always there. A family trait said to date back to when the spirit king, himself, fashioned the first Kuchiki lord from a sakura tree in his divine gardens. Although he rather liked the tale behind it, it made escaping her notice quite difficult. But if he was going to reach Aizen Sousuke without being spotted, then he must be able to approach without being detected. In Hueco Mundo, he knew that the wind blew constantly and the air was cold. He also imagined that if he entered the fortress near the kitchens, his scent would be overpowered by the smells of food and his approach would be less likely to attract dangerous attention, as the area not so heavily guarded…after all, who in his right mind would want to sneak into the fortress? In any case, none of his knowledge of Hueco Mundo would be useful here on a warm day on a plain with a light breeze blowing through the nearby forest.

Common sense said to use the trees to hide himself, and the strong scent of pine to mask his own scent…but Yoruichi would have thought of that. So he slipped free of the trees, dropped down into the long grasses and waited for her to make a move.

His hearing was wicked sharp and he knew the normal motion of the grasses from having watched them so often as a boy. But even so, she nearly caught him unaware as she dropped out of the tree behind him, barely missing him as he flash stepped away. Now he used the trees, weaving and spinning around them in an intricate dance, using moves that would have undone anyone else, but that hardly fazed Yoruichi as she flash stepped in pursuit. She almost caught him again, but he used the molting cicada move he had learned from her to pull free and flash step away again. He was nearly back to the cave and she hadn't caught him yet. He dropped all pretense of hiding now, and flash stepped madly towards the cave. She reached him several yards short of it and activated her shunko, sending a shock of power swiftly in his direction. He dodged the first and second volleys easily, then moved into a blinding flurry of flash steps as she inundated him with progressively heavier kido attacks. He felt a soft flare within and made a muted sound of surprise as he felt the rising of his own reiatsu in response to her attacks. She closed in, hammering him with hard and fast assaults now, and his shielding rose and flared around him, deflecting any attacks he failed to evade. The purple-haired woman's golden eyes flared brightly as her kido reached killing strength, and still she moved closer, attacking relentlessly until she broke through his defenses and he caught his breath sharply as a blaze of lightning shot towards his unprotected form.

A sudden explosion of bright pink light enveloped him, stopping her attack and blinding her to his movements for a moment. Byakuya felt a warm, familiar presence inside and the cool hilt of Senbonzakura in his hand. As the pink light faded, Yoruichi found herself looking at Byakuya, now standing ready with Senbonzakura in his hand. She smiled at him disarmingly.

"So…" she said affectionately, "You have decided to come at me with your full strength, Byakuya. And we will do that tomorrow. This is enough for today."

She looked out across the meadow to where the sun rose high over the trees.

"There is some trouble brewing in the living world and Kisuke asked me to look into it."

Byakuya didn't decide to frown, but couldn't seem to help it.

"I see," he said quietly, "Then go, if you wish. You have nothing tying you down to this place."

She sighed and shook her head.

"Byakuya…I am not abandoning your training…"

"I never asked for your help, and I can certainly train on my own," he countered, "I will not stand in your way and I will not care whether or not you return."

Yoruichi frowned and her eyes narrowed.

"You are transparent, Byakuya, she said softly, "I can see your anger, even though you won't admit to it. You have enough self-control and pride that you won't plead with me to stay, but I see what you would hide from me."

She flash stepped and Byakuya found her suddenly inside his guard and nearly in his arms. His hand opened and Senbonzakura dropped to the ground with a soft thud. He stared into Yoruichi's golden eyes, his body aching to kiss her, but his pride flaring up and making him stare silently into her eyes and stand breathlessly still instead.

I won't let you do this to me…

I won't let you back inside to toy with my heart…

You broke it once…and I will never let you do that again…Yoruichi…

Her fingertips touched his lips and he closed his eyes against the sensation. He knew where this was leading…and the only way that it could end. Yoruichi would leave him…and the darkness and silence around him would return. These days that were so bright and this woman who was so beautiful and alluring…so tempting…would swallow his heart whole and then disappear.

"Tell me what you're thinking," Yoruichi whispered, "I want you to talk to me. We can never get past this if you won't talk to me, Byakuya. We were so close before. And that last day…when we kissed, it felt as though you were finally leaving that angry, lost noble boy behind you and reaching out to me."

"Senpai…" he said distantly, "You are talking about a person I left behind a long time ago. You are just one in the long list of those who left me. My mother died bearing me, and my father while I was still a boy. You didn't just leave…but left without a trace and you let me believe that you were dead. What wasn't broken then, shattered when my father died. By the time I lost Hisana, I'd grown used to people promising we'd always be together, and then disappearing. Even if you mean what you say, it won't change the outcome. Everyone leaves. You have already abandoned me once…and I would be a fool to care about whether or not you do it again."

Yoruichi smiled sadly, placing her hands on his face.

"But the problem is…you already do care, Byakuya."

He knew he should object…should tell her again that caring for her would be stupid and short-sighted…something only a complete fool would do. But again, despite what he wanted to do, his heart held him still and quiet as Yoruichi closed the distance between them and pressed her wonderfully soft and warm lips to his. And before he could stop himself, he was kissing her back, tightening his arms around her, pulling her in closer. And what began as a rather chaste kiss suddenly deepened into a much deeper…much more sensuous, open mouthed offering. He felt a flash of heat pass over his senses and had to fight to keep himself from dragging her down where they stood and making love with her, then and there…in the sweet smelling long grass of the open meadow, with the scent of pine and flowers, the buzzing of bees and the sounds of birdsong around them.

I know better than to let her do this to me…

With an effort, he pulled his mouth away from hers and released her. He stood, quietly observing her for a moment.

"What do want from me…Shihoin Yoruichi?" he asked softly, "You act as though you want something solid…a foundation that will last, but as soon as it is laid, you run from it. I will not lie anymore. I want to be with you. I may even want to love you. But I know what happens to those who do. You will suck the life out of me and you will leave me again…and this time, I won't mend. I haven't the heart left to be abandoned anymore. It is too much to ask. So…leave me and see to your responsibilities. If you leave now, I will land more softly…and I will let go more easily. Much more and I will be dragged down."

He hated himself for saying the words. They sounded so weak…so…unlike him. But Yoruichi moved closer again and wrapped her arms around him. She placed her hands on his face again and looked deeply into his eyes.

"Byakuya…I am not going to leave you…"

"Spare me your promises," he said quickly, "I won't believe them."

"I want you to come with me on this mission."

Byakuya's brow furrowed questioningly. Yoruichi smiled warmly at him.

"Byakuya…all of those years ago…when I left with Kisuke, you were just a boy and I was little more than a wild girl in a taichou's haori. You were going to be clan leader and a taichou. I couldn't take you with me without taking away the future that you were meant to have. As selfish a person as I was, and as much as I loved you, I would not have done such a thing to you…or to your grandfather. He lost loved ones too, Byakuya. He had already lost his wife and daughter-in-law. And it wasn't long after my leaving that Soujun was killed. To have lost you…Byakuya…you know what it would have done. I couldn't take you with me, even though I knew you would hate me for leaving you behind."

"I have already said that I understand…and I am not angry at you for that anymore."

"Then listen to me now," Yoruichi said, placing her fingers over his lips, "You have a leave from the military and your clan is enjoying stability right now. They know you were badly injured and do not expect as much of you. It should not matter now whether we train here or elsewhere, as long as we prepare you to face Aizen. Come with me, Byakuya. Come with me on this mission. You will not be sorry. You will use skills that will benefit you when you face Aizen and we will be able to stay close to each other."

"You want me to come with you?" he repeated uncertainly.

A tickle of pleasure warmed him inside as she sought his lips again.

"Yes," she said, kissing him, "I want you to come with me. We leave in the morning…at first light."

"In the morning, ne?" he said, a rare smile touching his lips, "and with our training done for the day, how will we spend the rest of the time?"

Yoruichi laughed softly and burrowed into his arms.

"I think that between the two of us, we will be able to think of something," she said, dropping her weight and pulling him down into the grass.

It was the first time Byakuya remembered ever making love outdoors and in broad daylight…and with someone he wasn't married to…or with anyone but Hisana…

And to his surprise, there were several other 'firsts' in store for him as well…


	6. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aizen intercepts Byakuya on the way to Karakura Town and issues a warning and a challenge.

Byakuya woke late at night, buried in warmth, and unaware of how or when he and Yoruichi had returned to the cave. His body hummed with the contentedness of completion and their bodies still smelled of the flowers and grass they had crushed while engaging in a torrent of heated joinings. It had taken most of the afternoon and evening to quell the intense hunger brought on by his long abstinence. And even if not for that, to finally have given in to emotions that had waited over a hundred years to be acknowledged meant that resolution was something that would be reached more gradually.

He picked up a cup and dipped it into the stream they slept beside, then drank deeply, ignoring the light ache in his body and the heavy, drowsy feeling that made him want to go back to sleep. He emptied the cup, then noticed a pair of smiling golden eyes watching him and filled the cup again before offering it to her. She drained it and set it back down, then wrapped her arms around his shoulders and sank hungrily into his mouth again. The two indulged in several minutes of intense, plundering kisses, then dropped back down and took their time exploring each other, proceeding slowly down the lengths of each other's bodies, beginning with easy touches meant to tease and arouse and growing into deeper strokes. As they reached breathlessness again and tumbled over, he took hold of her slender hips and admired the outline of her body, set against a backdrop of stars. Blissfully sated, she curled into his arms and nuzzled her face beneath his chin.

"I know I really shouldn't tell you. I know you'll find a way to make me regret it," Byakuya said softly, "but I am glad this happened. And I'm glad you didn't just disappear again."

"I promised to help you prepare to go after Aizen Sousuke," Yoruichi replied, her eyes blinking sleepily, "and I will. And yes, I will probably make you regret admitting that."

She sat up slowly and gazed down at his much more relaxed and beautifully love misted form.

"But now that you have, I have a confession to make, too. I couldn't wait to come back…even knowing that you wouldn't want to forgive me. I decided that even if all you would do would be to hurl threats and insults at me, still I would come to see you."

Byakuya looked at her in amusement.

"And how is that different? You always came to see me, despite how I did nothing but hurl threats and insults. I don't know what you saw in me."

Yoruichi met his eyes knowingly.

"I think…that this is what I saw. Even back then."

Byakuya frowned.

"That's rather scandalous. I was a boy."

The cat woman giggled.

"And so I treated you like one. But I knew the day would come when you wouldn't be a boy anymore. And now that you aren't, more things are possible."

"Yes," agreed the noble, "a great many more things…"

They went quiet for a time, looking out the cave entrance at the stars and enjoying each other's warmth. As the light began to break on the horizon, they joined their bodies one last time, then gathered their provisions and opened a senkaimon into the living world.

"You'll want to keep your reiatsu masked at all times if you don't want to be tracked," Yoruichi told him, "and don't release your zanpakutou unless it really becomes necessary."

"I know that," he said, a touch sarcastically, "I did manage to earn a taichou's haori while you were off in the living world."

"Ooh! A taichou!" the cat woman laughed, "I see I'll have to watch my step."

The noble's eyes narrowed.

"You never quit, do you?" he asked, half annoyed and half amused.

"No," she said, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him again, "I never quit. But as you can see, that sometimes works in our favor, ne?"

"Sometimes," he admitted, surprised by how much he was enjoying their levity.

They passed into the precipice world and moved into flash step speed. Byakuya felt relief at being able to match her speed and to move with her flawlessly now. He felt the flare of power inside, and he realized how losing his powers when he was injured was like losing the ability to breathe. He was still a man without them…still strong physically, determined and proud. But the flow of reiatsu through his spirit centers, the hiss of his flash step, the weight of Senbonzakura at his hip, and the samurai's voice in his heart made him over into more. He couldn't protect his loved ones in that reduced state, and being so weak had made him feel like giving up and letting himself die. But Yoruichi's return had filled him again with the fighting spirit that had always marked him. And now, all things were possible.

As long as they were together…

As long as…

Time seemed to stop for him as he realized suddenly that his feet were no longer moving. He was standing still in the darkness of the precipice world, watching as Yoruichi ran on. Strangely, it looked to his eyes as though he still ran with her. And he realized, with a start, that what he was seeing was an illusion.

"Aizen," he hissed softly, "Show yourself."

The leader of the hollows appeared in the dark corridor in front of him then, his lips curved into a devilish smile and his power radiating around him. Byakuya strained to move, to break the power that held him in place, but found himself unable.

"Byakuya," Aizen said, his voice soft, almost affectionate, "I have been wondering where you have been hiding yourself. It is good to see you are recovering well."

"As if you cared," the noble replied coldly, "You were the one who…"

"I did not order Gin to kill you," Aizen said calmly, "It would have a waste. Great powers like yours do not appear often. And when they do, they should not be wasted. I ordered Gin to kill Rukia. She had lost her usefulness and was merely taking up space. You simply got in the way. Unfortunate."

Anger welled up inside Byakuya, harsh, biting fury that escaped him in a hard cry as his power shattered the bonds that held him and Senbonzakura appeared in his hand. He slashed down at the former taichou and loosed a huge kido blast as part of the same move. The breath left his body as he realized that Aizen had disappeared, and was now behind him. He turned and stopped the blade that swept down at him, then stared in dismay as a blade passed through his midsection and Aizen appeared in front of him. He stared down at his impaled body, then watched in horrified silence as the blade and swordsman disappeared and he again felt Aizen's presence at his back. He turned slowly, highly aware that Aizen could have killed him, if that had been his intent.

"Why did you do that?" he asked softly, "You could have stricken me down in fact, and we both know it. So why did you use an illusion to attack me?"

Aizen's smile widened.

"I needed to have a sense of where you are in your recovery," said the traitor, "I was trying to determine how long it would be before you came to face me."

"You expected me, then?"

"Of course," Aizen answered, sheathing his blade, "I struck at your heart. It is only natural that you would strike back at me as soon as you regained the ability to do so."

"Why her? Why my sister? You could have chosen anyone? Why did you use Rukia that way?"

Aizen's eyes blinked slowly.

"I knew that it would make you come after me," he said, looking calmly into the noble's riled, gray eyes, "I didn't, however, anticipate that you had the capacity to feel enough for Rukia to foolishly sacrifice yourself for her like that. I had imagined you to be more heartless, given that much of your heart died when you lost your wife. You are surprisingly more emotional than you look, Kuchiki Byakuya. But…I still have plans for you, and when you have reached your full potential again, I will duel with you."

"Why wait?" Byakuya hissed, his hand tightening on his sword.

He froze as Aizen's hand wrapped around his wrist and the traitor's soft voice whispered in his ear.

"You are not ready. Build your strength. Gather all of your power. Then come to me in the desert, and I shall give you the chance to avenge your sister. Just…be aware of what will happen if you lose."

A vision cracked across Byakuya's mind, leaving his body cold and shivering.

_He slashed downward, with all of his might, the petals exploding around him and a hard kido blast firing from his free hand. The power exploded around the two of them, making Aizen's glowing form disappear for a moment. When the light around them faded, Byakuya found himself standing face to face with the traitor, his sword, buried deeply in Aizen's body. Aizen's hand wrapped around his blade and the deceptively gentle brown eyes sought his._

_"You will never defeat me if you do not learn from your mistakes, Byakuya. See now, how you have been undone!"_

_Byakuya gasped in shock and pain as the illusion around them shattered. They still stood face to face, but looking down, Byakuya realized that his hands were empty. Aizen's blade was buried in his body up to the hilt and blood and reiatsu was escaping him with deadly swiftness. Aizen let him look for a moment longer, then tore his weapon free and watched Byakuya shudder and drop to his knees. The noble choked and gasped, staring as the blood and reiatsu poured out of him. He felt Aizen's eyes watching him as his life drained away._

_But just as his body gave way and he dropped the rest of the way to the ground, Aizen's hands took hold of him and healing power flared around him. It was only enough to leave him suspended between life and death. Then, as he stared at the traitor questioningly, Aizen removed something from his pocket and held it up before Byakuya's eyes so he could see._

_"I had to allow you to fight to the ends of your strength, to bring you carefully to that tipping point between life and death. And now that we are here, witness your fate…this beautiful form that I will grant you, now that you have lost to me…and you are mine."_

_"The hougyoku?" Byakuya whispered, realization falling over him and leaving him breathless, "You are going to…?"_

_"Shh…rest now. You are nearly dead. But rather than allow your powers to be lost…to be wasted, I will claim them as my own. I know that as long as you remain a shinigami, a Kuchiki, you will not obey me. But once I give you your hollow form, you will accept that you can never return to them. You will fight for me, because there will be nothing else left for you."_

_"No…!" he whispered, struggling as the hougyoku began to glow, "No! NO!"_

_Blackness exploded through his body, raising his cries into hard, anguished screams as the rest of his life drained away. His body went ice cold and his heart raged as it fought the encroachment of bone that began to gather around him. Aizen's arms wrapped around him, holding him tightly and anchoring him as his shinigami form was ripped away. His pale skin went white, and he made a guttural sound of agony as white bone formed all around him, swallowing him whole and leaving him blind and senseless. Slowly, the encroachment ended. He lay, encased from head to toe in a pure white bone shroud. Aizen placed his hands on Byakuya's body and let his reiatsu flow into the noble. Byakuya felt the power flood his restrained body, slowly bending and shaping it. He took his time crafting his captive's new shape, then straightened and touched the hougyoku to the bony shell to shatter it. A soft hand found Byakuya's and an arm wrapped around him, helping to lift him so that he was sitting upright. Long black hair fell down around his shoulders…longer than it had been before and shining like glowing satin. His naked body looked much the same, but his arms and legs now ended in sharp, black talons, and he could see and feel the dark, leathery wings that had sprouted near his shoulders. Aizen turned his blade so that the newly made hollow could see himself, and Byakuya stared in horror at the beautiful and terrifying form he had been given. His eyes were still a lovely gray, but the centers glowed blood red. He felt the presence of fangs and saw them as his mouth opened to scream, but the sound that came from him was the shriek of a hollow. His taloned hand rose to his breast, where it found the hole where his heart had been. And as he came to grips with what he had become, Aizen's arm remained around him, and that chillingly calm voice soothed him._

_"Beautiful…lovely…perfect…"_

_He tried to speak, but it came out as another senseless shriek. And the cruelty of what Aizen had done to him became clear. Although he retained his memory and intelligence, and although his hollow form was even more powerful than his shinigami form had been, he could not communicate…_

_"That is right," Aizen said softly, "No one understands a word you say, except for me. If you try to speak, they will hear the cries of a hollow. Only I will understand your thoughts. But you are going to be lovely and powerful…perfect as the greatest among my hollow subordinates. So do not worry about losing your place in the Kuchiki family. You will retain your lordship here when I leave for the spirit dimension. You will be overlord of this land, Byakuya. All hollows will bow before you."_

"B-bastard!" Byakuya gasped, breaking free of the vision and backing away.

He looked down at his body, shaking fitfully, even though he remained a shinigami. Aizen smiled at him again and waited quietly, watching as the noble glared back at him.

"Tell me why," Byakuya said in a low, angry voice, "If this is what you want, then why didn't you simply transform me now? You do not need for me to be at full power for that. You could do it at any time."

"Yes," the traitor agreed, "I could. But I choose not to."

"Why?" asked the noble again.

"Because," Aizen said, making an image of Byakuya's hollow form appear on the shining flat of his blade, "Your fate will be unchanged either way…but I want to enjoy taking you down while you are at full strength, holding you close as you pass into death and shaping you into your new form with my bare hands. Do you not yet understand, Byakuya, I enjoy the game…the hunt, as much as I enjoy the kill. There is time yet before I will open the way to my new kingdom, and I must have something to keep myself busy."

"I don't understand," Byakuya mused, frowning and lowering his eyes, "I never did anything to you. And yet, you chose my sister for your plans. You manipulated me into turning against her. You turned my fukutaichou against me. You chose me to be your hollow overlord. Why, Aizen Sousuke?"

"You search so hard for reasons, Byakuya," Aizen said, shaking his head, "And they do not always exist. But if you must have an answer, your power, your position among the taichous, and your station as head of the greatest of the noble clans made you stand out. I noticed you. I judged that you would be very useful, and I embraced the game of drawing you in. I know it's difficult to wrap your mind around. But I enjoy games, Byakuya. I enjoy testing others' strength, finding their hidden weaknesses and bringing them under my control. Nothing I place my aim on escapes me."

"Rukia escaped you," Byakuya hissed softly, "And I will not become your plaything, Aizen. I will find a way. And when we duel, I will defeat you. I will destroy you!"

"I look forward to that," Aizen said calmly.

He turned and opened a doorway into Hueco Mundo.

"Train hard, Kuchiki Byakuya. I expect a battle worthy of the man you are."

Byakuya watched silently as Aizen disappeared into the desert and the doorway closed. He stood in the darkness of the precipice world, his gray eyes wide and his body quivering with rage.

"Byakuya?"

A soft hand touched his shoulder and he turned to face Yoruichi. The purple-haired woman's brow furrowed worriedly as she read the expression on his face.

"What happened? I stepped out of the precipice world with you and you just disappeared. I thought that you left me…to go after him alone."

Byakuya shook his head slowly, blinking to rid his eyes of the image of the hollow form Aizen planned to give him.

"Then what happened?"

"Aizen Sousuke simply wanted to show me exactly what he plans for me."

"He was here?" Yoruichi asked softly, slipping a hand into the noble's and shivering at the coldness of it.

"He was here," Byakuya whispered, still staring in the direction the leader of the hollows had gone.

"You look a bit rattled."

"I am all right, Senpai. He wasn't of a mind to hurt me. His plans for me are much more involved."

He let out a soft breath and his hand tightened in Yoruichi's.

"I am not going to let him get to me…and neither will I let him win. He was trying to intimidate me…but he won't stop me. And it's no use worrying about this now. He is waiting for me to reach full strength. We should go on to Karakura Town. There is nothing to be done about this…not yet."

Yoruichi's lips tightened, but she let the issue go. Keeping her hand in his, she turned them back towards Karakura Town.


End file.
